Dolce & Gabbana Stun Again in 23 Fashion Week
Fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana stunned once again at their most recent 2023 fashion week, unveiling a barrage of monochromatic looks. The outfits, each paying their homages to the high fashion of the 90s, were accentuated with black sunglasses and accessories. Dolce & Gabbana’s all-black ensemble made a statement that mourned old Hollywood and reminded us that vintage fashion isn’t dead.
Dolce & Gabbana Stun Again
Widely claimed to be a callback to the older looks of the 20th century, from the gilded silver screen to the straight to VHS movie sequels, Dolce & Gabanna’s pieces show that black is still their best color. All the while, smidges of pinks, yellows, and blues decorated the runway— accentuated with large black buttons and sharp sunglasses. Putting it simply, it was a near perfect merge of the future and the past.(Almost like the original Blade Runner.)
The piece below, for example, throws viewers back to the past with a black coat featuring what possible satin lapels. On top of it all, the look is a=accentuated with a feathery headpiece. The tight waistline of the pants gives form to the piece that would otherwise be formless, and the style of it is eerily similar to the formal, flowy look the silver screen once loved. It’s retro, its 50’s, its fabulous. And the bralette? Well, without being too dramatic, it’s to die for.
The Only Problem
The only real issue seen with Dolce & Gabbana’s recent collection is the sheer formality of it. The looks have a certain edge to them that could make buyers think the pieces are uncomfortable, and some have an intimidating look to them. They’re merges of classic black fashion, almost like the style of Lydia Deetz from “Beetlejuice”, dramatic in all the right ways. Perhaps too dramatic, arguably.
These pieces certainly aren’t for everyday wear, of course— and yet they’re so distinctive that to wear them out twice would be fashion suicide. In a way, though, that singular flaw with the pieces is what makes them so singular. Only Dolce & Gabbana could take old style trends and make them as sharp and as chic as they are on the 2023 runway. When you can make leggings look high end, you know you’re a fashion mogul. Take this fur coat for example, hiding a jewel of a sheer black dress underneath it. Very Grace Jones-esque, we might say.
Fur and feathers were far from being the outcasts of Dolce & Gabbana’s show. Right alongside them featured the ever-important lace, and together, they formed a sort of triumvirate around the entire collection. It adds va-va-voom to the collection, and emulated the style of early 80s and 90s fashion monarch Vivian Westwood (who is missed dearly.)
The Aftermath
It gives “Clueless.” It gives “Legally Blonde.” It gives audiences a taste of every 90s, Y2K moment that Gen Z is looking for. Dolce & Gabbana’s collection chases after fashion styles of the past. So, audiences can appreciate each piece. Who doesn’t want to channel their inner Elle Woods as they walk down the runway?
It’s a tough world out there for fashion brands who want to leave their mark on the world. Some approach the runways with the looks of the future, vying to be the most avant-garde brand out. Some fall into trending looks and hope the trends don’t change anytime soon. But Dolce & Gabbana remains timeless and a pillar to the fashion world regardless of trends or competitors. By looking to the past, they make strides into the future.
Featured Image by Daniele Oberrauch.